Emergency response services are getting a boost from the latest drone technology. Swedish company Everdrone has developed a state-of-the-art multipurpose drone called the E2 that combines an advanced camera system with the ability to deliver vital medical equipment.
This drone aims to significantly lower emergency response times and improve situational awareness for first responders, and Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) in the UK has decided to integrate it into its emergency response services.
This move comes as part of KSS’s efforts to explore the potential of drone technology in medical emergencies. Everdrone, a company operating in Sweden, Denmark, and the UK, has developed the E2 drone model. This drone is designed to carry both a camera system and medical kits, aiming to assist first responders in emergencies. The company claims that the E2 drone can achieve response times averaging two minutes.
The E2 Drone
The E2 drone can cruise at speeds up to 82 km/h and cover a range of 8 km on a single charge. It is capable of taking off within 15 seconds of receiving an emergency call and reaching incident locations in under 2 minutes on average.
The drone features an “advanced camera system” including RGB, infrared, and 10x zoom cameras. This provides first responders with high-resolution and infrared live video streaming to assess emergencies before arriving on the scene.
With a payload capacity of 3 kg, the E2 can transport customizable medical kits stocked with supplies like automated external defibrillators (AEDs), epinephrine auto-injectors, bleeding treatment materials, and other critical equipment. The ability to rapidly deliver these time-sensitive supplies aims to improve patient outcomes.
Everdrone has validated the capabilities of its drone system through collaborations with medical researchers and emergency responders.
In 2020, the company worked with Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet to test delivering AEDs to simulated cardiac arrest patients. The drones arrived before ambulances in the majority of cases during this trial.
In 2021, Everdrone’s drone helped save the life of a Swedish man suffering a heart attack by delivering an AED to the scene just minutes after the emergency call.
Ongoing pilot programs with regional emergency services in Sweden and Denmark continue to demonstrate the technology’s effectiveness. Everdrone is also working with Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex to integrate the E2 drone into emergency response fleets in the UK starting in 2024.
Everdrone has previously collaborated with Region Västra Götaland and has ongoing partnerships with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) and Hovedstadens Beredskab. The company has implemented drone deliveries of defibrillators (AED) and has integrated its services into specific emergency response infrastructures.
Leigh Curtis, MBE, Executive Director of Service Delivery at Air Ambulance Charity KSS, emphasized the organization’s commitment to innovation. “At Air Ambulance Charity KSS, we continuously strive to provide the best possible service to our patients. The multipurpose drone is one of these innovations which has the potential to add immense value to the service we offer,” Curtis stated. The combination of live-view and flexible emergency delivery capabilities will not only broaden the range of patients they can assist but also enhance the planning and scaling of responses, leading to improved outcomes.
Everdrone designed its E2 system to provide emergency responders with complete situational awareness and the ability to intervene rapidly.
The live video stream from the drone’s cameras allows first responders to visually assess the emergency scene in real-time before arriving. This helps them strategize the safest and most effective response.
Combining equipment delivery with live video streaming enables emergency services to provide critical care to patients even faster. An E2 drone can quickly transport required medical supplies right to the location of an emergency.
According to Everdrone’s CEO, this multipurpose capacity represents a “true game-changer for first responders and a revolution for emergency dispatch.”
Everdrone aims to make its drone solution available to augment emergency response capabilities across urban areas in Europe. With its speed, visual intelligence, and equipment transport abilities, the E2 drone has the potential to improve emergency care significantly.
The integration of Everdrone’s E2 drone by Air Ambulance KSS represents a step towards exploring the role of drones in emergency medical services.
TLDR
- Everdrone developed a multipurpose drone called E2 to improve emergency response capabilities
- E2 combines a camera system for live video with delivery of medical equipment
- Fast speeds and autonomous flight allow it to reach incidents in under 2 minutes
- Technology validated through pilots with medical researchers and emergency responders
- Aims to provide responders with enhanced situational awareness and rapid equipment delivery
- Could revolutionize emergency dispatch by improving speed and care
